Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the movie constantine or the Hellblazer comic books. damn

Chapter 2

"So, have you had experience with any other bookstores?" The lady asked Alex as she sat nervously inside the small shop.

"No, m'am. This is my first job, and I have had no prior experience with bookstores. I do love books though."

The lady cocked her head to the side. "How old are you miss…"

"Okasick. I'm 20 years old."

"So what have you done in the last three years?"

Alex leaned closer to the lady and half whispered her response, in case anyone was listening. "I was kinda in therepy."

"Why?"

"Well, I kinda used to have these points where I would randomly stop talking or do anything for a few seconds and claim to act strangely. People tell me I do awful things, but I never know what I do, cause it feels like a blackout to me."

The lady squinted her eyes. "Has this ever disrupted any jobs?"

"As I said before, I've never had a job."

"Do these 'blackouts' occur often?" the lady asked, using air quotes on the word blackouts.

"Actually I had one this morning, but it was the first time in a year."

The lady stood up and shook Alex's hand. "Well, Miss Okasick, I am very pleasured to meet you, but I think you might want to go to a psychologist before you start working anywhere."

Alex's face looked sad. "I don't get the job?"

"Well, the position will be open if you feel you are able to work here, but I just want to make sure that my staff members are safe, if you do something dangerous."

Alex put on a fake smile, and then stood up. "Thank you m'am… I promise I will see what is wrong with me." Then, Alex walked out of the bookstore and walked down the street. The tears came slowly and fell onto her shirt, but she didn't care, as she walked down the street. She felt the sudden urge to run, but she couldn't bring herself to that point. She just kept walking, having no idea where she was or where she was going.

Alex started to feel hungry and she decided to stop somewhere and eat. A small supermarket was to her left and a Taco Bell was across the street. She reached into her pockets and pulled out her remaining money and counted it. $3.60. That wasn't enough to get a decent meal at Taco Bell, so she turned to her left and walked inside the small market. For a split second she forgot that she gave a 20 to Chas before the interview. But then she remembered and walked through the aisles, looking for something cheap. She walked to the candy section and looked at the different types she could possibly get.

She ended up picking up a pack of licorice and a box of cookies. The licorice in Chas' cab made her think of the strange red candy. She craved the cookies, and calculated the amount in her head. That would come to 4 dollars… she was just short by a dollar. She made the quick decision and put the cookies back. The licorice would be enough.

She walked up to one of the registers and was immediately beaten to the stand. There were at least 5 people in every line. Alex felt awful. She felt hungry, sick, mad, and ignored. So she was just about to lose it, when someone tapped her shoulder. "I'll pay for that for you," the person said.

Alex turned around and faced Chas. He had a box of cookies, a can of coffee and a few cans of soup in a basket. Alex smiled when she saw him, but felt slightly embarrassed when she felt the tears run down her face. She started crying again, and Chas was there. She felt a pang of guilt, but couldn't do anything because the licorice was out of her hands and in the basket.

"That's really sweet of you," Alex replied.

"Well, I felt bad that you gave me that 20. I mean, you're only buying licorice… so you probably don't have enough money."

"Yeah, $3.60."

"Why did you give me the only money you had?"

"I felt I needed to give you something, you know, for treating me that sweet."

"That was nothing!" Chas objected.

Alex smiled. "I don't regret it."

Chas chuckled and paid for their groceries.

Alex hopped in the back of the cab and leaned on the seat in front of her. "Can you take me somewhere?"

"Yeah, where?" Chas asked, as he chewed on a piece of licorice.

"I don't care. Just take me somewhere."

Chas smiled and pulled out of the grocery store's parking lot. "Do you like to bowl?" he asked Alex.

"Well, I suck at bowling, but I do like it."

"That's good. Cause I'm gonna take you to my favorite bowling alley."

Alex smiled and opened her package of licorice and had a piece.

After a few minutes of chewing on her candy, she leaned on the seat again and smiled. "What made you think of taking me to a bowling alley?"

"Well, for one, it's where Constantine lives, and two, you look like you need some fun. Did the interview go bad?"

"They told me I need to see a psychologist before I get a job anywhere. They think my condition is too 'dangerous' for the staff and customers.

Chas looked confused. "They have no right to say that!"

"Yes they do. They just want to protect their people. I would want to as well, but the truth of the matter is that I can't predict when these things will happen!"

"Not to be rude or anything, but what exactly are you talking about that would hurt the people?" Chas asked.

"Remember this morning when I walked out in front of your cab?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, I like to call that a blackout. What happens is that I'll be in the middle of talking or doing something, when I'll just stop and, apparently, become very violent. It's this weird condition that no one has heard of, and I don't remember anything that happens. I hurt someone one time, so they label me dangerous and in need of therepy. That is what I have gone through for the past three years."

Chas was shocked. "Wow. I'm terribly sorry."

"It's okay, I'd rather not think about it."

"Okay," Chas replied, as he pulled up to the bowling alley. They both got out, still chewing licorice, and walked up to door.

kk, please R&R people. I've changed the story a WHOLE lot and I wanna know what you think! Thanx and chapter 3 will be up soon!